Imperial Archives - Missourinet

Missouri House gives final approval to photo ID legislation; bill also allows no-excuse absentee voting

March 26, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

Legislation that requires a photo ID and the use of a paper ballot was given final approval by the Missouri House in Jefferson City on Thursday. The vote, primarily along party lines, was 109-48.

Missouri House Elections and Elected Officials Committee Chairman Dan Shaul (R-Imperial) speaks on the House floor in Jefferson City on March 25, 2021 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

House Bill 738 is sponsored by veteran State Rep. Don Rone (R-Portageville), who represents the Bootheel. Rone was unable to make it to the Capitol on Thursday, so State Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Imperial) presented it. Shaul chairs the House Elections and Elected Officials Committee.

“Paper ballot, it will become the official ballot and it shall be hand-marked by the voter. That will become the official ballot as of January of (20)22,” Shaul tells House colleagues.

The bill also repeals electronic voting language, with the exception of voting equipment used by disabled residents. The bill also allows no-excuse absentee voting starting the third Tuesday before an election, with photo identification. The bill also requires local election authorities to be members of the Center for Internet Security.

It also repeals mail-in voting provisions that were allowed in 2020 during the COVID pandemic. Chairman Shaul says it also includes other key provisions.

“It’s going to allow candidates to hire their own poll workers. You can’t be compensated for people who solicit voter registration applications,” says Shaul.

House Democrats are critical of the photo ID requirement, with State Rep. Joe Adams (D-University City) saying that provision is “despicable.” Representative Adams, who serves on the House Elections and Elected Officials Committee, blasted Republicans during a short floor speech, saying they will disenfranchise voters.

“I think we’re trying to fix particularly with this voter ID portion and how will you vote, we’re trying to fix a problem that does not exist,” Adams says.

The Missouri Voter Protection Coalition urged the House to vote no, saying the bill will erect barriers to the ballot for thousands of eligible Missouri voters.

But bill supporters such as Debby Jones disagree: she testifies that voter ID will stop fraud and will ensure an accurate vote count. The Missouri House received more than 50 pages of written testimony, about this bill.

Rone’s bill now heads to the Missouri Senate for consideration.

Proposed Missouri constitutional amendment would change legislative term limits

March 23, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

A Missouri House committee will hear testimony Wednesday afternoon in Jefferson City on a proposed constitutional amendment that would change the state’s legislative term limits.

State Rep. John Simmons (R-Washington) speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on February 4, 2021 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

In 1992, Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment known as Amendment 12, which established term limits. The term limits approved in 1992 remain in effect today. Missouri lawmakers are prohibited from serving more than eight years in either the House or the Senate, or a total of 16 years in both chambers.

The Missouri House Elections and Elected Officials Committee will hear testimony Wednesday at noon from State Rep. John Simmons (R-Washington), which would tweak the term limits set in 1992. Simmons’ district includes Union, Labadie and Gray Summit.

Under Simmons’ proposed one-page constitutional amendment, which is House Joint Resolution 49, Missouri lawmakers could serve up to 12 years in one chamber, for a total of 20 years in both chambers.

Simmons serves on the House Elections and Elected Officials Committee, which is chaired by State Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Imperial). State Rep. Kevin Windham (D-Hillsdale) is the committee’s ranking Democrat.

If Missouri lawmakers approve Simmons’ proposal this year, the issue would be placed on the statewide ballot in 2022.

Look for several late nights in Missouri Senate this week; House to begin discussion on congressional redistricting

March 8, 2021 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Senate will likely be in session for some late nights this week in Jefferson City, as lawmakers wrap up the first half of the 2021 legislative session.

Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz speaks to Missourinet in 2020 (January 2020 file photo from Missourinet’s Ashley Byrd)

Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, tells Missourinet Sullivan affiliate KTUI that senators will debate several key issues on the floor this week.

“I think education (school choice legislation), tax policy, motor fuel tax, and again I would anticipate that we will spend several long nights and when we break, people (state senators and staff) will probably be exhausted and ready for a break,” Schatz tells KTUI.

The Pro Tem reiterated that on Saturday to Missourinet. While education reform is a top priority for several GOP state senators, Democrats worry about the impact on public schools.

Increasing transportation funding has been a top priority for Schatz, who notes Missouri’s 17-cent per gallon gasoline tax has remained the same since 1996.

Schatz’s Senate Bill 262 would increase Missouri’s gasoline tax by 15 cents per gallon, by 2027. It also includes a provision for an exemption and refund.

The Missouri House will also be busy this week, both on the floor and in numerous committees.

The House is expected to debate a proposed constitutional amendment this week that involves initiative petitions.

HJR 22 is sponsored by State Rep. J. Eggleston, R-Maysville. If approved by lawmakers this year and if voters approve it, it would require sponsors of initiative petitions proposing constitutional amendments to collect signatures of 12 percent of registered voters in each of Missouri’s eight congressional districts and to submit those petitions to the Legislature for consideration, similar to a bill. The governor’s signature would not be required.

Supporters say the Missouri Constitution is about ten times larger than its federal counterpart, and that many states don’t allow use of initiatives to amend their constitutions. Supporters of Eggleston’s bill include Missouri Farm Bureau and the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association.

Opponents of the Eggleston bill say it would prevent the will of the people from becoming law. They also say the initiative process is difficult as it is. Opponents include the Missouri AFL-CIO and the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.

State Rep. Dan Shaul (R-Imperial), who chairs the Missouri House Special Committee on Redistricting, speaks on the House floor in Jefferson City on May 15, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Congressional redistricting will also be discussed this week in Jefferson City.

The Missouri House Special Committee on Redistricting will hold its organizational meeting Tuesday morning at 9. Congressional redistricting is done every ten years, after the U.S. Census is completed. State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, chairs the committee, and State Rep. Jerome Barnes, D-Raytown, is the ranking Democrat.

Chairman Shaul tells Missourinet that Tuesday’s meeting is to let committee members know what expectations are for themselves and for the committee, to help them understand the process. The committee won’t meet again until after the legislative spring break.

Legislation involving the Missouri Lottery will also be heard this week, in committee.

The House General Laws Committee meets Monday evening to hear a bill from State Rep. Jay Mosley, D-Florissant, which would give Missouri Lottery winners the option of not having their names published by the Lottery.

Representative Mosley has filed this bill several times, telling Missourinet last year it’s a safety issue.

“I want people to feel safe when they win. I want them to experience their winnings in the best possible fashion,” Mosley said last February.

Mosley worries Missouri Lottery winners could be targeted by people who read about their win, or approached by family members who want money.

Missouri lawmaker wants extension of COVID election protocols; absentee voting for St. Louis spring elections begins Jan. 19 (AUDIO)

December 23, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

A state lawmaker who represents St. Louis City wants Missouri’s governor to sign an executive order extending the 2020 COVID-19 precautions to the spring municipal elections.

State Rep. Donna Baringer, D-St. Louis, tells Missourinet that Governor Mike Parson’s (R) office has told her that Parson will not sign an executive order, citing alleged fraud in other states in 2020. She’s still hopeful it will happen.

State Rep. Donna Baringer, D-St. Louis, speaks on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on February 24, 2020 (file photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Missourinet has reached out to the governor’s office, in an attempt to confirm what Baringer was told. We have not heard back yet.

Baringer notes the bipartisan 2020 law from State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, allowed those in COVID at-risk categories to vote absentee. Everyone else could vote by mail, with notarization.

“That worked really well, at least it did in my district,” Baringer says. “I had an 81 percent turnout in the November election.”

Baringer’s district includes the Bevo and Lindendwood Park neighborhoods in St. Louis City.

She says absentee voting for St. Louis’ municipal elections begins January 19, and notes the mayor’s race there is expected to draw a strong voter turnout.

Baringer says the pandemic will extend into the spring elections, and she doesn’t want to see polling places turn into a superspreader event.

“So my letter specifically asks the governor if he would do an executive order to extend the sunset on the legislation that passed overwhelmingly by the state Legislature,” says Baringer.

The Missouri House approved the Shaul bill 121-24 in May, and the governor signed it into law. It covered the August and November elections, and Baringer says the bill saved lives and preserved the integrity of the vote.

Missouri lawmakers return to Jefferson City on January 6. Absentee voting for the St. Louis spring elections will begin less than two weeks later.

“And that’s why it would be near impossible to get it through the state Legislature, when we have 52 new incoming freshmen (in the Missouri House) that won’t have any background or understanding of what we’re trying to do,” Baringer says.

St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson announced in November that she won’t seek re-election. St. Louis’ mayoral primary will take place on March 2. The “St. Louis Post-Dispatch” has reported that, in a twist, St. Louis voters can vote for as many candidates as they wish in the March primary.

A mayoral runoff election will be held in April.

Baringer, who was first elected to the House in 2016, was re-elected to her third term in November. She defeated Republican Robert Crump, with about 73 percent of the vote.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s interview with State Rep. Donna Baringer, D-St. Louis, which was recorded on December 21, 2020:

Western Missouri judge decides on key slot machine case

September 24, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

The controversial issue of slot machines could end up going to the Missouri Supreme Court in Jefferson City.

The “St. Joseph News-Press” reported today that a judge in western Missouri’s Platte County ruled that two “no chance” slot machines found at a Parkville convenience store violate state gambling laws. Judge Thomas Fincham found the company, Integrity Vending of Kansas, guilty of felony promoting gambling by setting up and operating a slot machine.

That’s a class E felony. Judge Fincham has scheduled a November 23 sentencing hearing in Platte City. The “News-Press” reports Integrity Vending could face a fine of $10,000.

Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd prosecuted the case. He says despite the fact that the slot machines are seen in many Missouri convenience stores and gas stations, they are illegal slot machines, from his perspective.

Zahnd, who was first elected in 2002, has the longest tenure of any elected prosecutor currently serving the Kansas City metro.

The slot machine issue was the subject of at least three hearings in late 2019 by the Missouri House Special Interim Committee on Gaming, which was chaired by State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial.

During an October 2019 hearing, Chairman Shaul predicted that whichever sides loses the Platte County case would appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol testified at that hearing, saying the number of complaints about illegal gambling in Missouri quadrupled in 2019. Most of those complaints were about alleged illegal slot machines.

The Missouri Gaming Commission testified in 2019 that any illegal gaming machines used in Missouri negatively impact casinos and the state Lottery, reducing taxes and funding for education and veterans.

Missouri Legislature gives final approval to absentee ballot legislation; photo ID requirement stripped out

May 15, 2020 By Brian Hauswirth

Absentee ballot legislation that expands voting by mail through the rest of 2020 is on its way to Missouri Governor Mike Parson’s desk, after receiving final approval from the House in Jefferson City on Friday evening.

State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, speaks about absentee ballot legislation on the Missouri House floor in Jefferson City on May 15, 2020 (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

The final House vote was 121-24, and came with about 30 minutes to spare before the mandatory 6 p.m. adjournment.

State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, who chairs the Missouri House Elections and Elected Officials Committee, is the bill sponsor.

There are two but separate options under the Shaul bill.

The first expands absentee voting to those 65 and older, or who are vulnerable to COVID-19. Elderly people are considered at greater risk. Notarization is not required for those 65 and older or who are vulnerable.

The second option expands voting by mail for everyone, but requires notarization.

Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican who campaigned on a platform of photo ID in 2016, tweeted his disappointment on Friday. He’s disappointed that the photo ID requirement was stripped out of the final bill.

But Secretary Ashcroft emphasized that his office will implement and follow the law.

The bill given final approval this evening also contains an emergency clause, which passed with bipartisan support. If Governor Parson signs it, it will be in effect for the August primary election.

House Speaker Elijah Haahr, R-Springfield, praises the bill, saying it is the result of compromise. Haahr tells Capitol reporters that the bill passed with bipartisan support, adding that it also faced criticism from lawmakers in both parties.

House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, agrees it’s a compromise. She says the bill on the governor’s desk will allow many Missourians who are concerned about the health risks from crowded polling places to cast an absentee ballot or to vote by mail.

And the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) wants lawmakers to go further in the future. In a statement to Missourinet, the ACLU notes the measures approved by lawmakers will expire at the end of 2020.

“We are glad to see the Missouri Legislature act to expand the right to vote, we hope they will continue to do so in sessions to come,” the ACLU says, in the statement.

Missouri Gaming Commission: illegal slot machines are impacting funding for education (AUDIO)

August 23, 2019 By Brian Hauswirth

The Missouri Gaming Commission testified Thursday in Jefferson City that the state needs a coordinated effort to stop illegal slot machines.

Missouri House Special Interim Committee on Gaming Chairman Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, speaks on August 22, 2019 in Jefferson City (photo courtesy of Tim Bommel at House Communications)

Gaming Commission Executive Director David Grothaus testified before the House Special Interim Committee on Gaming. The issue of illegal slot machines dominated most of the two-hour hearing.

“We’re trying to coordinate efforts among law enforcement and prosecutors, trying to educate prosecutors on how to prosecute those cases,” Grothaus says.

Illegal slot machines are found in places like bars, restaurants, gas stations and convenience stores. Grothaus tells lawmakers that there’s one pending criminal case in western Missouri’s Platte County, in the Kansas City area.

Grothaus tells lawmakers that the Gaming Commission is providing assistance to law enforcement. He says what the state needs “is a very focused effort” on the illegal slot machines.

Mr. Grothaus testifies that any illegal gaming machines used in Missouri negatively impact casinos and the state Lottery, reducing taxes and funding for education and veterans. That grabbed the attention of committee chairman State Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial.

“These illegal (slot) machines, they’re everywhere,” Shaul tells Grothaus. “And I think it is probably hard to put a number on it, because they continue to grow everyday. I have several of them in my district.”

Shaul says the illegal machines “are everywhere” in the state and in his district in eastern Missouri’s Jefferson County. Chairman Shaul tells Grothaus it’s a problem.

“Because the people are very clear that they want regulated gaming,” says Shaul. “And they want to make sure when they go to take part in these games that they’re fair.”

Shaul tells Missourinet that he doesn’t want to hurt fraternal organizations, emphasizing that he’s a veteran.

Chairman Shaul emphasizes that no decisions have been made by the committee, and he describes the hearing as an “educational process.”

Meantime, a representative from Missouri’s 13 riverboat casinos also testified, urging the Gaming Commission to shut down all of the illegal slot machines in Missouri. That representative is also calling for criminal prosecutions.

The state’s 13 licensed riverboat casinos have a combined total of about 16,000 slot machines, Grothaus testifies.

Grothaus also testifies that the Gaming Commission has a memorandum of understanding with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He says state troopers are stationed on the 13 casinos, and perform duties such as regulatory investigations.

Click here to listen to Brian Hauswirth’s full interview with House Special Interim Committee on Gaming Chairman Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, which was recorded on August 22, 2019 at the Statehouse in Jefferson City: